The Langley High girls’ volleyball team is showing good progress following a tough 1-3 start to the fall season. The Saxons, going into this week, had won three of their last four matches. Langley (4-4), earlier this week, was scheduled to play a road match at non-region opponent Loudoun Valley on Tuesday, Sept. 21. And on Thursday evening, Sept. 23, the Saxons will travel to Centreville High to take on the Wildcats at 7:15. It will be the season’s second meeting between the two teams, who also met Sept. 4 in Richmond.
“If we can continue to improve on converting our defense to offense we will be in the mix again towards the end of the season,” said Langley head coach Susan Shifflett, of her team’s outlook competing in the Liberty District.
The Saxons opened the season competing at the Liberty Christian Showcase Tournament in Richmond over Labor Day weekend. There, Langley went 2-3 overall, opening with a victory over Liberty Christian (Lynchburg) before losing three consecutive matches to Blacksburg High, Kellam High (Virginia Beach) and Northern Region opponent South County Secondary. Langley ended on a good not with the victory over Centreville.
After returning home from Richmond, Langley played a match at South County on Sept. 7. The Saxons had lost, 0-2, to the Stallions at the Showcase. In the second meeting back in Northern Virginia, Langley gave County a stronger showing in a 2-3 loss.
In its two most recent matches going into this week, Langley defeated both private school opponent and host team Maret, 3-0, on Sept. 10, and visiting Westfield High, 3-1, on Sept. 15.
“We performed better at the Showcase this season,” said Shifflett, whose team had struggled at the Showcase in 2009. “We lost 0-2 to South County in the tourney then were able to take them to five sets the following week.”
Langley has six seniors on its roster this season, with team leaders Kathryn Caine (middle blocker) and Lindsay Warden (opposite hitter) leading the way.
“We will need to see improvement from the rest [of our line-up] to make a run,” said Shifflett, of her teams hopes of being a contender in their district. “It looks like Stone Bridge will be the team to beat this year!”
Langley will not meet Stone Bridge until Oct. 28 when the Bulldogs pay the Saxons a visit in the regular season finale.